PSCI 202 Fall 2012 World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations Also offered Spring 2013

Whereas the field of comparative politics looks at what goes on inside various countries, international relations considers the actions of sovereign states toward one another and the patterns and institutions that they create. International politics differs from domestic politics in the absence of centralized, legitimate institutions. Anarchy characterizes the world of sovereign states--there is no world government, nor agreement that one is desirable or even possible. This lack of a common authority means that any dispute among countries is up to the countries themselves to settle, by negotiating, appealing to shared norms, or using force. For this reason, while international relations involves many of the same topics that consume domestic politics--ethnic antagonisms, spending on aid, war, national identity, inequality, weapons manufacture, finance, loans, pollution, migration--it shares few of the same processes for dealing with them. This course covers the theories and problems central to international relations. It considers the importance that this radical decentralization has for achieving values we hold, and examines processes that might undermine or support the anarchical system in which we live.

Class Format: lecture

Requirements/Evaluation: some combination of short papers, midterm exam/paper, final exam, and class participation

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Prerequisites: this is an introductory course, open to first-year students and sophomores; juniors and seniors may enroll only with permission of instructor and under special circumstances

Enrollment Preference: first-year students and sophomores intending to major in Political Science